By Tom Ryan
A study from the University of New Hampshire revealed that shoppers who exhibit distinct cognitive skills are more apt to be impulse buyers, and suggests that salespeople can be trained to spot these tendencies in shoppers to maximize sales. Observable Cognitive Function in the Purchasing Process: A Study of Quickly Identifying Impulse Buying Behaviors in Consumers was conducted by students in adjunct professor Chuck Martin's class at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics.
The students found that shoppers who exhibit either high levels of flexibility or low levels of self-restraint are most likely to make an impulse buy.
Highly flexible customers browse extensively, tend to walk around the store, and are not loyal to any one brand. They are open to suggestions from sales associates and easily persuaded to purchase the generic, less-costly version of the item or even to trade up. If the customers can't find the product they want to purchase, they tend to purchase another similar product.
Consumers with low-self restraint randomly look at products; walk through the aisles grabbing different items, and often backtrack to get an item to purchase. Sales are very attractive to these consumers, whether or not they planned to purchase the item. These consumers often exhibit the "oohh" factor, literally making such an exclamation when they find a good sale.
On the other hand, those showing signs that they are highly self-restrained are probably not worth the bother for sales people. They may browse extensively and comparison shop, but will leave the store empty handed if they don't find exactly what they want. They can be openly difficult and stubborn. These customers are "on a mission" - they know what they want and walk directly to the department of the store with the item. If it's not available, they will turn around and walk out.
Fifty students divided into teams of 10 conducted their research at businesses throughout the New Hampshire Seacoast. Researchers observed shopping behavior, followed by short surveys to validate the cognitive functions of self-restraint or flexibility associated with the observed behavior. In 95 percent of the cases, the observed behavior was validated by the survey results.
The students theorized that salespeople could be trained to spot these cognitive skills in shoppers, thus improving their ability to help customers and increase the salesperson's efficiency and effectiveness.
"The researchers found that these impulse and non-impulse behaviors in shoppers can be identified in less than a minute, which could instantly indicate to a salesperson who is most likely to listen to their sales advice and who is not," said Prof. Martin in a statement.
Discussion Questions: Should sales associates be encouraged and trained to recognize cognitive signs of shopper behavior? What else would you like to learn from studies of this kind?